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    The Fossil Beds National Monument, Malad Gorge State Park, and Box Canyon State Park are just a few options. There are also some great dirt bike, and ATV opportunities on the west side of the Snake River.

    Thousand Springs State Park has several units to explore: Malad Gorge, Kelton Trail, Earl M. Hardy Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve, Billingsley Creek, Ritter Island, Crystal Springs and Niagara Springs. These incredible scenic areas are all within a short driving distance of each other and all have amazing Hiking opportunities.

    Park fees
    $5 entrance fee per vehicle
    Free with your $10 Idaho State Parks Passport! 

    Acreage
    About 2000 in nine units

    Elevation
    2,800

    Open/hours

    • Welcome kiosk at Malad Gorge (exit 147 from I-84) open 7 days a week
    • 7:30am to 4 pm Memorial Day through Labor Day
    • Year-round on weekends 7:30 am to 4 pm

    Short paved trails from the Malad Gorge overlook provide views of Malad Gorge, plus there’s a driving tour. On the north side of I-84, visitors can see old Oregon Trail wagon ruts and stream crossings used by emigrants in the 1840s-1860s. See Malad Gorge map. See Kelton Trail map.

    Help us celebrate the National Park Service birthday as we turn 100 years old in 2016! We want everyone to learn about national parks, but this is a special opportunity for fourth graders to act as important ambassadors. 

    If you are 10 years old or in fourth grade, you can participate in a fun online activity and receive a voucher for a free 4th Grade Annual Pass. Print out the voucher and take it with you and your family to a national park, where you can serve as an ambassador and introduce your family to the National Park System. This program, called Every Kid in a Park, begins September 1, 2015, and runs until August 30, 2016. National parks and other federal lands and waters all across America are excited to share their heritage with young people.

    We look forward to welcoming you!

    Go hiking on a 2-mile loop around Ritter Island or hike the Bonnieview Trail for 1.5 miles (3 miles round-trip) along the Snake River. Rated easy. Here’s a trail map for both trails.

    The monument has several hiking trails to explore in the area where archaeologists excavated the largest concentration of fossils from the Hagerman Horse many years ago. Hike along the old Oregon Trail in the monument or hike to an overlook of the Snake River. Rated easy. Contact the park for more information. Spring and fall are the best times to hike in the park, when the temperatures are cooler.

    Visit the 11th largest natural spring in North America in this 350-acre unit of Thousand Springs State Park. Hike overland along the rim of Box Canyon, see a 20-foot waterfall, and then take a foot trail down into the springs. Rated easy to intermediate. Poison ivy and stinging nettles are present in the canyon, so dress appropriately. About 6 miles of trails and roads traverse Box Canyon, leading down to the Snake River where the springs empties into river.

     

    Check out the fishing and birding trails at the Hagerman WMA next to the Hagerman State Fish Hatchery. There’s an underwater fish-viewing area for kids. Multiple trails provide access to several fishing ponds in the area, plus there are thousands of waterfowl (30,000-40,000 ducks) and birds of prey that visit the area in the winter and spring.